By Yasser Faisal
KUWAIT CITY (AA) – The Kuwaiti cabinet on Monday set Nov. 26 as the date for holding the country’s next parliamentary polls, according to a government source.
The source, who spoke anonymously due to restrictions on speaking to media, said the cabinet had approved a draft decree calling on voters to head to the polls on this date.
The draft decree will be submitted to Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al Sabah for approval, the source added.
On Sunday, the emir dissolved the assembly, paving the way for early elections.
In a decree carried by Kuwait’s official KUNA news agency, the emir cited “regional developments” and “security challenges” as reasons for dissolving the 50-member chamber.
“Circumstances in the region… and security challenges… require us to return to the people — the font of authority — [so they might] to choose their representatives to express their collective will and help deal with these challenges,” read Sunday’s decree.
The announcement came shortly after the Kuwaiti cabinet submitted a request to the emir calling for the assembly’s dissolution.
On Saturday, Parliament Speaker Marzouq al-Ghanim called for holding early elections — the first move of its kind in the small Gulf country’s history.
In a televised interview, al-Ghanim attributed his calls for snap polls to the “internal and external challenges” facing the country.
“We will face numerous internal and external challenges in the upcoming phase, which will require a new government and a return to the ballot box,” the parliamentary speaker said.
According to Kuwait’s constitution, elections must be held within two months of parliament’s dissolution.
Kuwait’s last parliamentary poll was held in 2013.
